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San Clemente Island
Chronological Military History (1934-2000)
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1940's
A grade school for seven island personnel dependent children was established in October. The teacher was furnished by the Los Angeles City Schools. 2 Following commencement of WWII hostilities, the Navy in 1942, accelerated use of the Shore Bombardment Area (SHOBA) at the southern end of the island for fleet training. (The author's destroyer, the USS Turner (DDR-834) qualified on this range just prior to deployment to the China Station in August 1947.) Also in '42, nine explosive ordnance magazines were constructed mid-island. A small airfield, support facilities, and containment areas, were constructed four (4) miles south of Wilson Cove for logistics support and training. 1 In March of 1943, Army and Marine Corps Reinforced Infantry Battalions, supported by a battlegroup composed of the battleships Idaho, Nevada, and Pennsylvania, conducted naval gunfire, counter-battery, and close support artillery exercises in the SHOBA area. 40 During 1943-44, Chief Boatswains Mate Frank Kuhlow, a wounded Pearl Harbor survivor, was assigned to limited duty on the island, in charge of a security (lookout) group of fourteen (14) personnel. This detachment was composed of Chief Kuhlow, 12 lookout personnel, and a cook. They were stationed in lookout towers at the North Head (North) and Pyramid Head (South) areas of the island. 16 The U.S. Army Southern California Sector-Western Defense Command listed San Clemente Island as a Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS), Fleet Tug Base, and with a "Free Gunnery School located at Wilson's Cove". 23 On 18 July 1945, a metal pre-fab (UB-80) structure was built to house the new Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) Special Projects School for Douglas R5D aircraft line maintenance training. However, this on-island training was terminated on 15 December 1945. 29 Naval Ordnance Test Station (NOTS), China Lake, began using the island as a test and evaluation range on an occasional basis. |
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